Patti's Pen & Picks is about books. This blog will include books I have read; mostly those I have enjoyed, but possibly some I have not, readalikes and author appearances. I love to talk and write about books and love to hear from those who feel the same!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

The Passion of the Purple Plumeria by Lauren Willig

Hello All,

The Passion of the Purple Plumeria by Lauren Willig was a lot of fun for this reader. It combined romance, adventure and mystery in a classic Regency setting.

Gwendolyn Meadows has been second-in-command to the spy the Pink Carnation in Paris. She returns to England to help find the Pink Carnation's younger sister who has gone missing from her boarding school. Young Agnes has run away accompanied by her friend Lizzy, whose father has returned from India to be with his daughters. Gwen ends up joining Lizzy's father, William Reid, and together, with compatriots, they search the English countryside for the girls.

Gwen and William's adventures include witty banter, each taking care of the other as situations arise, and a romance begins despite their worries.

One of the best things about this book for me was the age of the characters. Gwen admits to being in her forties, and William is in his fifties. Yet they are not kept on the shelf or made to be comic characters on the sidelines. This is their story and their romance is front and center. As a reader in my late forties, I thank the author for writing this particular book.

Highly recommended!

Happy Reading!
Patti

The Passion of the Purple Plumeria by Lauren Willig 2013 Penguin 9780451414724

This book was sent to me for review by Penguin; no other compensation was offered or accepted for this review.